Chocolate Banana Split Cone Cupcakes, Gluten Free

I’m thinking that if my mother had made these cone cupcakes for one of my birthday parties a hundred years ago, everyone would have pestered me for an invitation. I’d have been pretty darn popular at the lunch table – too bad my birthday was just after the end of the school year. The only kids around for my birthday party were from the neighborhood, all five of them.

Of course, that my mother only ever frosted a cake or cupcake with a crumb coat was not relevant back then. I was lucky that the birthday cake came with two ounces of frosting and a level-ish cake layer or two. My mom could whip up some pretty intricate pastries but when it came to cakes – she was a bit challenged.

Fast forward a generation. When I was a very young mom (and well before my snarky days) I did make a giant Joan Walsh Anglund cake – just once – for the first child when she turned six. It only took fourteen cake mixes and four days to construct that thing. The kids loved it – the parents thought I was crazy because the cake was big enough to feed a small city let alone a dozen six-year-olds.

I can see why making a cake that requires two full sized baking sheets to hold it might be a bit over-the-top. Thankfully we lived in a neighborhood where everyone was young (read: great metabolisms) and could eat that entire cake in under two days.

From then on, I made the familiar heart-shaped cake and adorned it with swirly things and other decorations that were relevant to the kid’s interests that year. I never again made an over-the-top cake thingy until now. Unless you count this or this.

Over-the-top these cone-cupcakes may be – they are slightly healthy and though they are meant to look like ice cream (banana split) sundaes in a cone – they are totally dairy-free as well as gluten-free. Who knew that Tofutti helped make such a tasty buttercream. Not me. But it does. Even Mr. Canteen, hater of all things with the letters t.o.f.u. really liked it.

It doesn’t hurt that they have chocolate dripping down the sides and a chocolate covered cherry on top or colored sprinkles. These are a win-win. You get an award for ridiculous over-the-top birthday or party treats and everyone gets to eat somewhat healthy cone-cupcakes which will probably not send anyone into a sugar crash. But do not tell anyone that there is t.o.f.u in there, ok? I don’t want to lose my slutty baking street-cred.

This will make almost two dozen cone cupcakes but if you only want a dozen - use cupcake liners for the rest (it'll make about 9 cupcakes plus a dozen cone-cupcakes). Don't be tempted to fill the cones too much because the cake does rise and you really want that frosting contained inside the cone for best balance - learn from my test-dozen that landed on the floor after they bobbled off the serving tray because they were top-heavy. I filled them too full of batter. And kids don't need all that much cake (or icing) to keep them happy. It's all in the sprinkles! And probably best not to reveal that they are good for you with banana and Tofutti, right? It's a secret!

Ingredients

Cone Cupcakes

195 grams Canteen flour blend (1½ cups)

20 grams unsweetened Hershey’s Dark Cocoa (1/4 cup)

150 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup)

2 (scant) teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

80 grams pureed banana (1/3 cup)

3 extra-large eggs

63 grams almond milk (1/4 cup)

75 grams canaola oil (1/3 cup)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

95 grams semisweet mini chocolate chips (1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon tapioca or other starch

12 GF flat bottomed ice cream cones (Edward & Sons)

Buttercream (Tofutti) Icing

96 grams shortening (Spectrum Organic solid) (8 tablespoons)

60 grams Tofutti (nondairy cream cheese) (2 tablespoons)

440 grams powdered sugar, sifted (4 cups)

3 tablespoons fresh strawberry puree

1-2 tablespoons almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toppings

170 gram chocolate chips (1 cup)

Sprinkles

22-25 Maraschino cherries with stems, drained

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place twelve cones in a muffin tin. Place 9 standard cupcake liners in another muffin pan.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a small bowl whisk together banana puree, eggs, milk, oil and vanilla extract. Add to flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer until batter is light and fluffy, about two minutes. Scrape down sides with a silicone spatula. In a small bowl mix mini chocolate chips with the starch. Fold into the batter. Scoop into cones about ⅓ full. Scoop remaining batter into cupcake liners about ⅔ full. Bake cones for 14 minutes and test with a toothpick. Remove when the toothpick comes out without crumbs. Transfer cones to rack to cool completely and be careful because they tip over easily. Bake cupcakes 16-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out without crumbs. Transfer cupcakes to a rack and cool completely before adding icing.

Coat the cone edges with chocolate by turning them upside down and dipping the edge into the melted chocolate. Immediately add sprinkles to the chocolate and turn right side up and set on a rack to harden.

In a large bowl mix together tofutti and shortening. Add powdered sugar and beat until the mixture starts to combine. Add two-three tablespoons of strawberry puree and whip until the mixture is fluffy. Add one-two tablespoons of almond milk as needed to make the frosting easy to spread but not too thin. Whip in vanilla. Pipe or scoop onto cone tops and cupcakes. Drizzle more melted chocolate over the tops and add sprinkles. Dip the cherry in chocolate or top with a plain cherry.

This is very cute! Sorry, but I’m a novice baker with a silly question. So you actually scooped the batter into the ice cream cone and bake the cones with the batter? That’s very cool – I guess the ice cream cones wouldn’t turn too brown in the oven, after baking?

Hi Adelina – exactly. scoop the batter directly into the cones as directed – not too full or they will rise too much. But place them in a cupcake tin for baking because that will keep them from falling over. And they stay the same color. The good news is that if they are slightly soft from the humidity or age, they will crisp up a little in the oven. And no question is a silly question – we all start somewhere! Glad you asked because I bet others have the same question.